1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a vegetable cutting utensil and in particular to a vegetable cooking utensil which is provided with a flat blade and a comb blade, constructed so as to shred vegetables and the like.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The present applicant has already filed a patent application regarding this conventional type of vegetable cutting utensil now U.S. Pat. No. 4,733,588, and this vegetable cutting utensil is explained according to FIGS. 6 to 11. In FIG. 6, the reference numeral 1 denotes a vegetable cutting utensil, and this vegetable cutting utensil 1 consists of a vegetable cutting utensil main body 2 which is made of a hard synthetic resin formed into a roughly rectangle in a plan view, a metal flat blade 3 which is removably attached to the vegetable cutting utensil main body 2, and a metal comb blade 4 which is removably attached parallel to the flat blade 3. The vegetable cutting utensil main body 2 consists of left and right frame parts 5, 5 provided to be spaced apart at a predetermined space, a reception plate 6 fixed on a front half portion (a left half portion in the drawing) between the left and right frame parts 5, 5, a regulating reception plate 7 rotatably arranged on a rear half portion (a right half portion in the drawing) between the left and right frame parts 5, 5, and a graspable holding body 8 which is arranged across the left and right frame parts 5, 5 so as to couple them on a rear half portion of the left and right frame parts 5, 5.
Further, the vegetable cutting utensil main body 2 has grooves 9, 9 which are oppositely disposed in a diagonal direction and which are drilled in a horizontal direction on approximately central portions in the longitudinal direction of the left and right frame parts 5, 5, so that the flat blade 3 shown in FIG. 7 is inserted from one of the grooves 9, 9 so that both end portions 3a, 3a of the flat blade 3 are positioned on the grooves 9, 9, and a middle part of the flat blade 3 is supported in a removable way on a step portion 6a which is formed on a rear end of the reception plate 6.
The vegetable cutting utensil main body 2 is constructed so that the flat blade 3 can be fixed on the grooves 9, 9 by providing screw tubes 10, 10 on positions which are on undersides of the left and right frame parts 5, 5 and on positions of the grooves 9, 9 as shown in FIG. 8, screwing respective screws 11, 11 from the undersides of the screw tubes 10, 10, and pressing the flat blade 3 against upper wall surfaces of the grooves 9, 9 while pressing both respective end portions of the flat blade 3 by distal end portions of the screws 11, 11.
The comb blade 4 is juxtaposed with the flat blade 3 so as to be perpendicular to the flat blade 3 while being spaced apart from the flat blade 3 at a predetermined space, and the comb blade 4 is disposed across the left and right frame parts 5, 5 and is fixed by means of comb blade fixing screws 12, 12 which are screwed from side portions of the left and right frame parts 5, 5 toward the inner side.
Further, as shown in FIG. 9, pivot pins 13, 13 protrude on rear end portions of the side portions of the regulating reception plate 7, while as shown in FIG. 10, pivot grooves 14, 14 which are opened to the inner side and rear sides of the left and right frame parts 5, 5 are formed on rear ends of the left and right frame parts 5, 5 so that the pivot pins 13, 13 of the regulating reception plate 7 are inserted into the pivot grooves 14, 14.
Moreover, the vegetable cutting utensil main body 2 is constructed so that shredding thickness of a vegetable can be changed by providing a stay 15, which is disposed across the left and right frame parts 5, 5, on an underside of the regulating reception plate 7 as shown in FIG. 8, by screwing a regulation screw 16 from an underside of a central portion of the stay 15 so that a distal end of the regulation screw 16 removably holds the bottom surface of the regulating reception plate 7, and by varying screwing amount of the regulation screw 16 so that respective protruding lengths of the comb blade 4 and the flat blade 3 protruding upwardly from a sliding movement guiding surface that is the upper surface of the regulating reception plate 7 are regulated.
As shown in FIG. 11, protruding portions 17, 17 which protrude forwardly are formed near both end portions of the front surface of the holding body 8, and holes 18, 18 extending vertically are drilled in the protruding portions 17, 17 while holding body fixing holes 19, 19 are threaded on rear ends of the left and right frame parts 5, 5 shown in FIG. 10. After the pivot pins 13, 13 are inserted into the pivot grooves 14, 14, the protruding portions 17, 17 provided on the holding body 8 are inserted so that positioning of the holes 18, 18 drilled in the protruding portions 17, 17 and the holding body fixing holes 19, 19 are performed. Thereafter, screws 20, 20 shown in FIG. 6 are screwed into the holding body fixing holes 19, 19 and the holes 18, 18 of the protruding portions 17, 17 to fix the holding body 8.
Thus, rear end opening portions 14a, 14a of the pivot grooves 14, 14 are closed by the protruding portions 17, 17, and detachment of the pivot pins 13, 13 is restricted, and as a result, the regulating reception plate 7 can vertically rotate, taking the pivot pins 13, 13 as supporting points of the rotation.
When a vegetable or the like is cut while being slidingly rubbed with the upper surfaces of the reception plate 6 and the regulating reception plate 7, the comb blade 4 scores, and long, thin shredded pieces sliced by the flat blade 3 fall from a gap between the edges of the comb blade 4 and the flat blade 3. It is also possible to remove the comb blade 4 and use only the flat blade 3. In this case, belt-like thin pieces can be obtained.
The above described conventional vegetable cutting utensil is constructed in such a manner that the pivot grooves which are opened to the inner side and the rear sides of left and right frame parts are formed on the rear ends of the left and right frame parts of the vegetable cutting utensil main body, that the pivot pins of a regulating reception plate are inserted into the pivot grooves, and that the protrrding portions provided on the holding body are inserted so that the regulating reception plate can rotate freely, taking the pivot pins as supporting points of the rotation.
However, when a vegetable is employing the vegetable cutting utensil, it is easy for fine vegetable scraps to go into the pivot grooves and cause clogging, and at that time it is necessary to remove the vegetable scraps in the pivot grooves.
In order to remove the vegetable scraps in the pivot grooves, it is necessary to remove the holding body after removing the screws by means of a screwdriver or the like and to remove the regulating reception plate, and thus such operation is extremely troublesome.
Accordingly, a technical problem to be solved occurs in order that vegetable scraps and the like which have gone into holes and the like to cause clogging are removed easily in a vegetable cutting utensil which is constructed in such a manner that a flat blade and a comb blade are provided to shred a vegetable and the like, and it is an object of the present invention to solve this problem.
The present invention is proposed in order to attain the object, and a first aspect of the invention is a vegetable cutting utensil constructed in such a way that grooves which are oppositely disposed in a diagonal direction and which are drilled in a horizontal direction on approximately central portions of left and right frame parts in the longitudinal direction of a cutting utensil main body are provided, that a flat blade is inserted into the grooves to be disposed across the left and right frame parts, that a reception plate is fixedly mounted integral with the left and right frame parts in a front side with respect to the flat blade, and that a regulating reception plate which is rotatably attached to the left and right frame parts in a rear side with respect to the flat blade is disposed, wherein the regulating reception plate is detachably formed by allowing respective pivot pins to protrude toward an inner side on inside portions near rear ends of the left and right frame parts while forming respective engaging holes on both side portions near rear ends of the regulating reception plate as well as providing respective opening portions on the engaging holes, so that the pivot pins are fitted into the engaging holes to rotatably support the regulating reception plate and that the pivot pins are engagable via the opening portions of the engaging holes.
According to the first aspect of the invention, since pivot grooves of the prior art example are not formed on the left and right frame parts, vegetable scraps does not remain on the left and right frame parts, and vegetable scraps remaining on the engaging holes of the regulating reception plate can be easily cleaned by detaching the regulating reception plate. Also, cleaning by water washing becomes possible.
A second aspect of the invention is the vegetable cutting utensil as set forth in the first aspect, wherein the engaging holes of the regulating reception plate comprises fitting portions into which the pivot pins are fitted and opening portions which engagably guide the pivot pins, and narrow portions for restricting detachment of the pivot pins are formed on access openings of the fitting portions.
According to the second aspect of the invention, additionally to the effect of the invention as described in the first aspect, the pivot pins become rotatable by means of the fitting portions, the engaging pins become engagable by means of the opening portions, and detachment of the engaging pins can be restricted by means of the narrow portions.
Further, a third aspect of the invention is the vegetable cooking utensil as set forth in the first and second aspects, wherein a comb blade which is disposed across the left and right frame parts and which is juxtaposed with the flat blade is detachably provided on approximately central portion in a longitudinal direction of the left and right frame parts of the cooking utensil main body.
According to the third aspect of the invention, additionally to the effects of the invention as described in the first and second aspects, vegetable or the like can be shredded by means of the comb blade.